The Australian TV host announced his own death in a posthumous social media post
Australian TV host Fiona McDonald announced her own death at the age of 67 in a posthumous social media post on Thursday.
The beloved host, who worked on the children's program “Wombat” and the gameshow “It's a Knockout,” died three years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
“Goodbye my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this as I leave the building – hopefully I'm looking down from a cloud,” MacDonald wrote in the Instagram post.
“Last night ended a very difficult few months. The boys were very quiet and Kylie kept saying goodbye with me. Although I never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was comforting,” she wrote.
He described his last few months as “difficult” in that he was unable to swallow normal food, could not tolerate protein drinks and was “slowly starving, weaker and weaker.”
McDonald was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2021, the Australia Broadcasting Company reported. Neither ABC nor McDonald's have publicly identified the specific diagnosis.
There are several motor neuron diseases; The term refers to progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurons and cells. Normally, these neurons control skeletal muscle activity, including walking, breathing, talking and swallowing, according to the National Institutes of Health. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) are both examples of motor neuron diseases. For most, There is no remedy
“The dark humor that served me well in the early years of this journey turned to despair,” Macdonald explained in his post. “I decided after much soul-searching to stop all medical assistance and finally go to the hospital for life-saving care. When you love life as much as I do, it takes a lot of courage to make the choice that leads to goodbye.”
“So let's not say goodbye because I hope to see you again on the other side,” he continued.
She ended her post with a quote: “May the wind always be at your back, may the sun shine warm on your face, may the rain fall gently on your fields until we meet again, and may God hold you in his empty. hand.”
“I carry your love and laughter with me and hope you remember me,” he concluded.
TV series Australian Story covered McDonald's diagnosis last October.
In early 2021 he began experiencing symptoms, including slurring his words and tripping, the program revealed. He said the diagnosis came as a “shock” because McDonald had no family history of motor neuron disease.
“My world fell apart,” he said in the episode through a computerized voice as he lost the ability to speak.
“This is not a disease for the faint-hearted. There's no treatment, no cure,” she explained in the episode. But she didn't let her diagnosis stop her. Even as she became frail and dependent on a wheelchair and cane for mobility, she went on to help research motor neurone disease before she died. He and his sister embarked on a road trip around Australia to raise money for